The Alfred's News | Page 4

Sailing News 2016 Club Marine Pittwater to Coffs A straightforward final night at sea for the Club Marine Pittwater to Coffs Yacht Race fleet brought the last boat, Out of Sight, from 42 starters to the finish line at 0632hours this morning, Monday January 4, 2016. All boats are safely tied up at Coffs Harbour marina on the NSW Mid North Coast or heading for home ports and the final placegetters have been declared. What was touted a promising smaller boat race for handicap turned out to be a big boat run north, at least for the major IRC trophy. Line honours winner for the second year, Karl Kwok’s 80-footer Beau Geste (RHKYC), also takes home the key IRC overall and IRC division 1 silverware, a bonus prize pack says Kwok. Beau Geste maintained a decent pace for most of the 226 nautical miles in the predominant sou’easterly winds and came to the finish hot doing 20 knots of boat speed, with bow spray flying. They missed Wild Oats IX’s 2003 race record by just 16 minutes. “Getting the record is something on our minds, but with the line honours and IRC overall win we achieved full marks,” Kwok said today. “Taking IRC overall is definitely an unexpecte